A legacy of artistry, pain and the burden of gift :: Mmegi Online

TRIBUTE: We knew of his addictions and his demons, not because they were whispered about, but because he himself shared them with us. That was ATI, fearless, unfiltered, and unapologetically real. As we mourn him, let us also take time to reflect on our own battles, our own demons, and how we choose to confront them. SHARON MATHALA pays tribute to a friend who was a national icon

Like many, I first met ATI through his music. His voice reached me before I ever knew him in person. But life would later bring us together in a way I never expected. As a journalist, I am used to observing from a distance. I don’t befriend the people I write about. But with ATI, the distance collapsed, tota o iforcitse mo go nna.

It began with a story I had written, surprisingly unrelated to music or entertainment, that caught his attention. He reached out, and a quick exchange turned into a conversation that lasted over an hour. From then on, I came to know not just ATI the artist, but Atasaone Bryan Molemogi the man himself.

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